Focused Passage

Isaiah 5:8-17

The Song of the Vineyard and the Woes Against Covenant Corruption

The chapter moves from the beloved’s vineyard song, to the LORD’s interpretation of Judah as the failed vineyard, to six woes exposing the vineyard’s bad fruit, to the rejection of the LORD’s instruction, and finally to the summoned instrument of judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.

9 I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied.

10 For ten acres of vineyard will yield but a bath of wine, and a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.”

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.

12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

13 Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.

14 Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!

15 So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled; the arrogant will lower their eyes.

16 But the LORD of Hosts will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.

17 Lambs will graze as in their own pastures, and strangers will feed in the ruins of the wealthy.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Woe ה֗וֹי H1945 Interjection to you who add מַגִּיעֵ֥י H5060 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct house בַ֙יִת֙ H1004 Noun - masculine singular to house בְּבַ֔יִת H1004 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular and join יַקְרִ֑יבוּ H7126 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural field שָׂדֶ֥ה H7704 Noun - masculine singular to field בְשָׂדֶ֖ה H7704 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular until עַ֚ד H5704 Preposition no אֶ֣פֶס H657 Noun - masculine singular construct place [is left] מָק֔וֹם H4725 Noun - masculine singular and you live וְהֽוּשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural alone לְבַדְּכֶ֖ם H905 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural in בְּקֶ֥רֶב H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

I heard בְּאָזְנָ֖י H241 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts {declare} צְבָא֑וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural Surely אִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . לֹ֞א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle many רַבִּים֙ H7227 Adjective - masculine plural houses בָּתִּ֤ים H1004 Noun - masculine plural will become יִֽהְי֔וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural desolate לְשַׁמָּ֣ה H8047 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular great mansions גְּדֹלִ֥ים H1419 Adjective - masculine plural . . . וְטוֹבִ֖ים H2896 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural vvv מֵאֵ֥ין H369 Preposition-m | Adverb left unoccupied יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

For כִּ֗י H3588 Conjunction ten עֲשֶׂ֙רֶת֙ H6235 Number - masculine singular construct acres צִמְדֵּי־ H6776 Noun - masculine plural construct of vineyard כֶ֔רֶם H3754 Noun - masculine singular will yield יַעֲשׂ֖וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural [but] a אֶחָ֑ת H259 Number - feminine singular bath [of wine] בַּ֣ת H1324 Noun - masculine singular and a homer חֹ֖מֶר H2563 Noun - masculine singular of seed וְזֶ֥רַע H2233 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct [only] יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular an ephah [of grain] אֵיפָֽה׃פ H374 Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Literally ten yoke of vineyard will yield a bath; that is, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day will yield approximately 5.8 gallons or 22 liters of wine.
  • Literally and a homer of seed will yield an ephah; that is, a homer of seed (approximately 6.24 bushels or 220 liters) will yield a tenth of its weight in grain.
Verse 11

Original words

Woe ה֛וֹי H1945 Interjection to those who rise early מַשְׁכִּימֵ֥י H7925 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct in the morning בַבֹּ֖קֶר H1242 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular in pursuit of יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ H7291 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural strong drink שֵׁכָ֣ר H7941 Noun - masculine singular who linger מְאַחֲרֵ֣י H309 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct into the evening בַנֶּ֔שֶׁף H5399 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular to be inflamed יַדְלִיקֵֽם׃ H1814 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural by wine יַ֖יִן H3196 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

- וְהָיָ֨ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular At their feasts מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם H4960 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural - וְאֵ֨ת H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker are the lyre כִנּ֜וֹר H3658 Noun - masculine singular [and] harp וָנֶ֗בֶל H5035 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular tambourines תֹּ֧ף H8596 Noun - masculine singular and flutes וְחָלִ֛יל H2485 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and wine וָיַ֖יִן H3196 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular They disregard לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle - יַבִּ֔יטוּ H5027 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the actions פֹּ֤עַל H6467 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and fail לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to see רָאֽוּ׃ H7200 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the work וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה H4639 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct of His hands יָדָ֖יו H3027 Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֛ן H3651 Adverb My people עַמִּ֖י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular will go into exile גָּלָ֥ה H1540 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular for their lack מִבְּלִי־ H1097 Preposition-m | Adverb of understanding דָ֑עַת H1847 Noun - feminine singular their dignitaries וּכְבוֹדוֹ֙ H3519 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . מְתֵ֣י H4962 Noun - masculine plural construct are starving רָעָ֔ב H7458 Noun - masculine singular and their masses וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ H1995 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular are parched צִחֵ֥ה H6704 Adjective - masculine singular construct with thirst צָמָֽא׃ H6772 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb Sheol שְּׁאוֹל֙ H7585 Noun - common singular enlarges הִרְחִ֤יבָה H7337 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular its throat נַפְשָׁ֔הּ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular and opens וּפָעֲרָ֥ה H6473 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular wide its enormous לִבְלִי־ H1097 Preposition-l | Adverb . . . חֹ֑ק H2706 Noun - masculine singular jaws פִ֖יהָ H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular and down go וְיָרַ֨ד H3381 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular [Zion’s] nobles הֲדָרָ֧הּ H1926 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular [and] masses וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ H1995 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular her revelers וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ H7588 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular and carousers וְעָלֵ֥ז H5938 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

So mankind אָדָ֖ם H120 Noun - masculine singular will be brought low וַיִּשַּׁ֥ח H7817 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and each man אִ֑ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular humbled וַיִּשְׁפַּל־ H8213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the arrogant גְבֹהִ֖ים H1364 Adjective - masculine plural will lower תִּשְׁפַּֽלְנָה׃ H8213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural their eyes וְעֵינֵ֥י H5869 Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc
Verse 16

Original words

But the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural will be exalted וַיִּגְבַּ֛ה H1361 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular by His justice בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט H4941 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and the holy הַקָּד֔וֹשׁ H6918 Article | Adjective - masculine singular God וְהָאֵל֙ H410 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular will show Himself holy נִקְדָּ֖שׁ H6942 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular in righteousness בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ H6666 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 17

Original words

Lambs כְבָשִׂ֖ים H3532 Noun - masculine plural will graze וְרָע֥וּ H7462 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural as in their own pastures כְּדָבְרָ֑ם H1699 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural and strangers גָּרִ֥ים H1481 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural will feed יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in the ruins וְחָרְב֥וֹת H2723 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct of the wealthy מֵחִ֖ים H4220 Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • LXX lambs

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.